Time of Our Lives
by Lauretta92
Summary: Post-series finale. Collection of one-shots after the first series ended. Can be read seperately.
1. August 2016

**Hello, I am back! May I just say one thing about the final episode: it was amazing, really amazing! **

**Anyway, this is going to be a collection of one-shot. They can be read separately, just a few moments of the future of Molly and Charles. Their great romance. I hope you'll like it.**

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><p><em>Two Years Later..<em>

"Everything alright in there, mate?", she asked, fully dressed in her army uniform, while leaning against the dark wall of the Army Training Centre in Pirbright. The place where it all happened for her. The place where she had her fourteen weeks basic training. Nothing had changed about this place. It all looked the same; the sergeants teaching the new recruits, soldiers coming and going or the sleeping quarters for that matter.

"Yeah, I'm coming", the seven year old son of Charles yelled back.

She smiled. It had been two years since she and the captain made it official. Two years since that amazing date in The Pump Room in Bath. The place where it all started. That moment when he first told her he loved her and hinted that he wanted to spent the rest of their lives together. Never in a million years did she thought that would happen, especially after she had dated people like Artan.

In the beginning of their relationship she had her doubts about whether they would make it as a couple. They were so different, had such different upbringings. He was used to be surrounded by wealth, good manners and the top education, while she grew up in East London with a father who used to be frequently drunk and skipped school as much as she could.

Everything had changed after that. Smurf died unexpectedly, leaving an now empty whole in her heart. There wasn't a day that she didn't think about him, missed him. She kept in touch with the rest of the platoon, visiting Smurfs grave whenever she had the opportunity.

"Well, well, well", a voice interrupted her thoughts. "If it isn't the class clown."

Molly turned around, meeting the eyes of the man who helped her through basic training; Corporal Geddings. "Afternoon, Corp."

He smiled. "What are you doing here, Dawes?"

"What?", she asked, trying to look as innocent as she could. "I can't visit my favourite Corporal?"

Geddings chuckled before he shook his head, probably because this was exactly something he would expect her to say. He took a few step forwards, before also leaning against the dark wall. "Heard you received a Military Cross. Very good, Dawes."

"You ain't gonna get soft on me, are ya?"

"Not 'til hell freezes over", the man in the uniform said to her. "I hope you did mention to her Majesty that I contributed to this great performance, which got you the medal."

"No fuckin' way."

"Hope you didn't use that kind of language in the palace."

She smiled, her laughter filling the hallway, casting a shadow over all the yelling outside this complex. "Oh yeah", she said, the smile still present on her face. "Queen loved me for it. Invited me for tea tomorrow."

"What exactly are you doin' here, Dawes?"

Before she could answer the Corporals question Sam appeared in the hallway, wearing the small military uniform she got him in one of those stupid costume shops. Sam straightened his back, like he saw the soldiers do on television. He had been practising the entire night last night. "Do I look like daddy?"

"Definitely. You are one good lookin' Tommy, Sammy", she said while she gave him a caress on the head. "You might gonna be a heartbreaker one day."

Sam saluted her, like she had taught him to do a couple of days ago. He had been practising that in the mirror ever since she showed him how to do that, almost refused to go to bed last night. She straightened her back as well before saluting the child in front of her.

It had taken her some time to get used to Charles being a father. She still remembered the day she was hiding in the closet, where she found out he was married. She felt so much pain, felt betrayed by the man she thought she could trust. He was so different from the guys she used to date, stupid wankers like Artan who didn't know what the word _loyalty_ meant.

"He is also a soldier, just like daddy", she said, while pointing at Corporal Geddings. "He helps people become good soldiers."

"Really?", he said, while looking in astonishment to the man across from him, like some people might look when they meet their hero or idol. "Can you help me too?"

She smiled at the innocence of Sam. Sometimes she wanted to go back to being a child, having nothing to worry about. Don't have to deal with death, sorrow and hurt. She didn't want to expect misery around the corner every time she walked on one of the streets in East London or Bath.

She saw Corporal Geddings kneeling down next to him, so they'd be at eye-level of one another. "You want to be a soldier like your daddy?"

Sam nodded yes, his eyes widening in excitement. "Molly's helping me. I want to be a superhero too."

"We gonna do part of the assault course today, Corp", she finally explained why she was here in Pirbright today.

"Well, chap", Geddings said. "If you're doing that, you're on your way to become a real good soldier."

"Yeah?"

Geddings simply smiled at the young boy before him. "Come with me than, superhero", she said, while extending her hand. He looked at the Corporal one more time before taking her hand. They walked straight to the place where they had to crawl under the net in the mud.

"Are you ready?", she asked. They got into the position, lying with their stomachs on the ground, before she added: "Right, let's go." As fast as they could they crawled under the net.

They spend the rest of the afternoon crawling in the mud, jumping over the walls and so much more. The entire day Sam had the biggest smile on his face. Every day she spend with this boy had been magical. Slowly, she started to warm up to the role that eventually would be called _step mother._

She had experience when it came down to her brothers and sisters, but she didn't have experience at all when it came down to raising children. Sam helped her get used to the idea of becoming a mother one day. She never really thought about stuff like that during her first tour in Afghan, but when her relationship with Charles developed into something serious she couldn't help herself sometimes.

After their afternoon Charles picked them up at the training centre and drove them home straight away. Sam couldn't stop talking about their day out, how he would later become a soldier just like his father used to be. Later that night Charles walked into their living room. She was watching some crap soap opera when he sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her, inviting her in for a hug. He pulled her close, while she rested her head against his chest. He kissed her on top of the head, before he said: "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For spending the day with Sammy. He had such a wonderful time, couldn't shut up about it." She simply smiled, letting the movement of his chest, caused by breathing in fresh oxygen, calm her down.

"Have you ever thought about it?"

"What?", she asked, while letting her fingers slip into his, making them one.

"About having some of our own?"

She sat up, looking him in the eye, trying to figure out if he was being serious about this. It wasn't as if they hadn't talked about the future yet. He made his expectations clear to her, but she was completely overwhelmed by him wanting a future with her. She never thought she was worth that kind of love, but maybe that was because she had never received it before she met him.

"Are you serious?", she asked after silence momentarily reigned the room.

"Yes, I am. It was clear to me the day we at the restaurant."

"When you said I couldn't call you boss for the rest of our lives."

He smiled, before kissing the knuckles of her hand, his brown eyes never leaving hers. "I was sure back then. I am even more sure about it now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She kissed him slowly but passionately. She wasn't good with words, never was.

She looked him in the eye, love definitely present there, before chuckling. Charles frowned. "Well, this is so much more romantic than ditto."

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><p><strong>Well, as always, a review would make me a very happy person :) Thank you!<strong>


	2. July 2014

**Alrighty then! Here is another one-shot. This is set before Molly goes on her second tour to train the Afghan medics. **

**And thank you all for reviewing last time, it's all very overwhelming. Really great that you are enjoying it so much… So a big thanks to you all! **

**Well, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think! And if you have any suggestions, just let me know :)**

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><p>She took one step at the time; one foot before the other. Slowly getting herself to her destination. The sole of her shoes made a familiar noise on the wet grass of the Boleyn Ground. Too familiar. She took in the smell that reminded her of the last time she was here in the company of someone else. Someone who couldn't be here today. Deep down in her heart she hoped he was watching from above, smiling down on her.<p>

She walked around the pitch, surrounded by thirty thousand West Ham United F.C. fans, cheering her on. Among those fans were the boys of Two Section, her man Charles and the rest of her family. After a long internal battle she had decided to bring her dad as her special guest, since he really wanted to meet his hero's. He had been so proud of her, especially after receiving the Military Cross, that she couldn't deny him this opportunity. He would probably never get one like this.

In the middle of this stadium she stopped and turned around. She took in a deep breath before turning on the microphone. Slowly the people occupying this massive construction stopped cheering, returning to their silent selves for only a few moments. She cleared her throat before bringing the microphone to her mouth. "I would like to dedicate this match to one of my closest mates. Dylan Smith", she said.

"Smurf", she added to the words. "Rest in peace, mate. You'll be missed."

She put the microphone next to her, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat the moment she uttered his name. The name that had caused her to cry like a fucking idiot if somebody even mentioned him to her. Even now, in front of these people, she didn't have the strength to control her emotions. The tears didn't have the decency to wait for when she would be alone, or with her captain for that matter. They always showed themselves on the most inconvenient moments.

When she had decided to actually stand in the middle of this stadium, she talked to Ben to ask him if she could dedicate this to a personal friend of hers. She had sent them a few photographs of Smurf, so the rest of the fans could see who she was referring to. Those photos were now shown on the screens on either side of the green field.

It felt so weird standing here, surrounded by acres of wet grass. This was the place where he fell down, the place that started an awful journey, eventually leading him to his death. She could still remember the way he collapsed in front of the goal post after he made his first goal. They had spent such a lovely day together, she never once imagined that it would end like that.

She swallowed one more time before she started to make her way back to the sidelines, where her dad was currently waiting for her.

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><p>The voice of Adele filled the small pub close to the stadium. All of Two Section retreated themselves to this pub after they had watched the match. The football team had preformed a bloody miracle since they actually won this one. She had been cheering, yelling together with her dad at the top of her lungs when West Ham actually made a goal.<p>

Despite the happiness that came with West Ham winning, she couldn't help but feel sad. She was happy in her life, but sometimes it felt wrong to be so happy. If she was being happy, she would forget a person like Smurf and he was someone she never wanted to forget.

Her trail of thoughts was interrupted when someone nudged her shoulder. She turned her head and found Mansfield sitting next to her. "Come on, Molls", he said. "Cheer up. West Ham did win the match, they're alright. Not as good as The Rams, though."

"Shut the fuck up, Mansfield", Fingers yelled in the background.

"No-one beats The Rams, no-one!" He stood up, his hand proudly against his chest, like he was giving praise to some god. A small smile appeared on her face. The boys of her section always managed to make her laugh.

Mansfield sat down again, his face being all serious at the moment. "Smurf wouldn't want you to be sad, Molls."

"You think so?"

"Yeah", he said, while took a sip of his beer. "He would want you to be happy."

She smiled. "Thanks, Mansfield."

"Anytime, Dawesy. Anytime."

She looked across the table at the one person that had been her rock over the past couple of weeks. He had been there when the nightmares worsened, holding her when she would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming.

Or the moment when she felt the most happy. In his arms she felt safe, protected from everything and everyone in the world. He was always there for her, putting aside his problems to help her. That man loved her unconditionally and she loved him. That was the only thing that got her through this. It helped her deal with the death of Smurf.

The team must have noticed her and Charles zoning out on the rest of them. "So", Baz said as a response to their behavior. "You and the boss man, eh?"

"What about me and Charles?" When she mentioned the captain's first name, Charles almost choked on his beer, not expecting her to reveal his first name to the rest of the section.

"Charles?", Nude-nut laughed. "Ha, fucking hilarious!"

"Yeah, Molls. What have you and our Charlie been up to?", Mansfield Mike said, the joy audible in his voice, while he wiggled his ginger colored eyebrows.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, right. You've been doin' some exercising, help him rehabilitate." Baz Vegas started to make kissing noises, pursing his lips to support the weird noises he was making. Soon after the rest of the section joined their fellow soldiers, making the same noises and the same face.

The captain was still sitting across the table from her, not saying a word or doing something to make them stop. He simply displayed a cheeky smile on his face. This was probably revenge for her revealing his first name. "Shut up, you fucking twats!"

"Molly and the boss man, sitting on a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G", they all sung together. Charles and Molly looked at each other and both started to laugh at the same time.


	3. November 2016

**Well, then. The next chapter. Major fluff alert, just a little heads up :) Enjoy!**

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><p>The light produced by the lamp currently standing on the nightstand illuminated his face, highlighting the outlines of it. Her head rested against the pillow, which felt so soft after she slept on a crappy one for the last five months. The soft fabric of the sheets touched her skin, but nothing felt so great than his hand on her face, stroking it in a lovely manner.<p>

"So you ain't gonna tell me anything about tomorrow?"

"Absolutely not", he said, letting go of her face. "It wouldn't be called a surprise then, would it?"

She tried to pout like children would do, trying to get their way, but it only made him chuckle. "I hate surprises."

"I know." His words followed by a cheeky smile.

"You're enjoying this, aren't ya?"

"Maybe."

She laughed, her voice filling the bedroom, enjoying their banter. "And here I thought you were a total gent."

It was his time to laugh. "You're probably rubbing off on me."

They continued to gaze into each other eyes, not once looking at their surroundings. When he picked her up at Brize Norton together with Sam she couldn't feel anything but happiness when she launched herself into his arms. It had felt so good to be home again.

A few years ago when she had her first R & R with Smurf she didn't feel at home in the UK with her family. She was supposed to feel at home there, but it just simply didn't. When she came back from her first tour, after which her relationship with the captain finally started, she started to feel at home with him. He was her home, her safe haven where she could turn to every time she needed.

Charles cupped her face, before kissing her, transferring his love for her in this one move. "I am really glad you're home", he said, still holding her face into his two strong hands, like he had done for the first time in the hospital in Camp Bastion.

She smiled. "I'm happy to be home." She closed the distance between them, letting him know just _how_ happy she was to be home with him.

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><p>She looked up at the big construction in front of her. "So this is your big surprise then?", she asked, emphasizing on the word <em>big<em>. "London Eye?"

"Do I detect a little disappointment there?"

She looked at the man standing next to her, her hand still in his. "You bein' all mysterious last night, pretending it was something huge."

"Like what?"

She shrugged. "Dunno", she said. "Something big, like a trip to fucking Paris, or somethin'."

He smiled. "Have you actually been in the London Eye?"

"Well, no."

"Come on, then", he said, pulling towards the entrance of the Ferris wheel. "By standing there you'll never find out how great the view is from up here." He pointed at the big construction in front of them.

He walked past the queue, consisting of tourist visiting England's capital and it major attraction. He reported himself to one of the guards before one of the personnel guided them to one of the capsules. "Well, enjoy", she said overfriendly, with a big smile on her face, like it was permanently plastered on there.

"Thank you", he said to the overfriendly woman.

She took a step into the capsule, walking around it, taking in the view from down there. In the corner of her eyes she could see him watching her, a smile present on his face. "You got us a capsule alone?", she asked.

He took a few step towards her, hands still in his jacket pockets. "Is the surprise big enough for you now?"

She walked towards him as well. "It's coming close", she teased him.

"It's hard pleasing you."

"I'm used to gettin' the best."

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and pulled her close, before kissing her on the lips. There was nothing that could describe this moment. She felt so loved, so incredibly loved. The kind of love she never thought she deserved. When she was dating tossers like Artan, who thought loving someone also involved sleeping around, she thought love like that only existed in movies. That is wasn't real.

That was until she met the captain of the Under Five's. Even then she thought she didn't deserved love like this, never imagined he would even look at someone like her. But she was wrong, she was so incredibly wrong.

She looked into his dark eyes, who represented calmness for her. "Thank you for this."

He smiled in a way like they were only meant for her. "You're welcome."

In the background the sun was slowly setting, leaving a soft mixture of yellow, orange and red on the objects it shone on. "I love you", she said, her voice so soft, almost a whisper.

"And I love you." He cupped her face, like he had done last night, like he had done so many times and kissed her on the lips. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"I thought I showed you that last night."

He laughed at her cheeky comment, before he face turned into serious-mode again. Well, at least that was what she called it when all of a sudden he was looking at her in some sort of serious manner. "On our first actual date I said that you couldn't call me boss for the rest of our lives and I meant what I said then. I still mean it."

He paused for a moment, like he was trying to find the right words in this moment. "I love you so much and I want to spend the rest of our lives together." He let go of her face, leaving behind a trace of his unconditional love he just pronounced. He got down on one knee, getting something out of his pocket.

"What the fuck are ya doin'?"

"Molly Dawes, would you do me the great pleasure of marrying me?" He opened the black velvet box, which showed it had locked away a beautiful, shiny engagement ring.

Her hands flew to her mouth, trying to prevent her from screaming in excitement. Tears started to appear in the corner of her eyes, only this time it weren't tears shed in the name of sorrow. They were happy tears. "Are you kiddin' me? I'd love to. Yes!"

He stood up while she launched herself into his arms. She kissed him full on, showing him how happy she was at the moment. Slowly he put the ring on her finger, feeling the cold metal touching her skin.

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><p>She knocked on the door of her old house, the house where she grew up. "Mom? Dad?", she yelled, before walking in the hallway, quickly being followed by Charles.<p>

"Molly, baby", her mom said, appearing on the top of the stairs before starting to walk down. She was followed by her father, who also came walking down. Her mother opened her arms and pulled her eldest daughter into a hug. She kissed Molly on the cheeks before she pulled Charles into a hug as well. They all walked to the living room, finding a clean place to sit.

"So, she said yes then, eh?", her father remarked, when he saw the engagement on her finger.

"You knew?"

Her father nodded. "He asked me permission and that, like they did back in the day."

"You what?", she asked, being amazed about the fact that Charles asked permission from her father, of all people!

Her fiancée – it felt weird calling him her fiancée instead of her boyfriend – smiled at her. "Can't exactly elope with you, now can I?", he said, while putting his hand on her knee. "And you should know by now that I do things the old fashioned way."

"Hmm… true", she said, also smiling at him. She kissed him briefly on the lips.

"Oi, might be okay with you two gettin' married, just don't snog in front of me, yeah?"

"Shut the fuck up, dad", she said before pressing another kiss on Charles' lips.

Her mother came walking into the living room, carrying a few mugs of tea and coffee with some biscuits on a tray. She put them down on the coffee table, before she sat next to her daughter. "Come on, Molls. Show me that shiny rock than!"

Her nan stood up from the chair across from the couch Molly sat on, before commenting: "Oh, that's a pretty, shiny one. He's a keeper, sure of that." Molly winked at her fiancée, who simply smiled.

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><p><strong>I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Still amazed by the amount of reviews I'm getting. Those reviews keep me writing, so thank you very much for doing that! <strong>

**And just one more thing, I don't know if it's even possible to sort of rent a capsule of the London Eye (probably not), but this is fiction, so just imagine that it is possible, haha :) **

**Anyway, a review is as always very lovely.. **


	4. December 2014

They strolled around through the small streets of Bath. Christmas light illuminated the tilted pavement on both sides of the road. She hooked her arm into his, while smiling at her surroundings. He was right. Bath was perfect, completely immersed in Christmas decorations, the lights flickering in the same rhythm as the song she currently heard in the background.

After a few minutes of walking, passing many of Bath' beautiful sights like Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths, they finally arrived at the place she had to have lunch. Well, at least that's what the Captain announced last night. He said he made a reservation somewhere in a restaurant in Bath, refusing to reveal its name.

After her second tour, training the Afghan medics, she took the captains invitation and came on the train to Bath. But she only accepted his invitation on one condition; that he would spend New Year's Eve in London. She had planned them spending the evening on the pier, overlooking the great fireworks that was shown at midnight.

"Sally Lunn bun house", she read from the façade of the building. She took in the old looking house –oh, who was she kidding? All the houses looked old here-, which consisted of white window-frames and brown coloured bricks, its colour so different from the mixture of the typical Christmas colours of bright red, green, silver and gold.

"The oldest building of Bath", he said. "They make the best bun's in the world."

She took a few steps forwards, so she could look at the display window. Before her, only a few centimetres of glass between her and the content kept behind it. The display window showed in full confidence the creation of the oldest bread recipe. Well, she assumed that would be the case, since this house was the oldest in Bath.

"The _entire_ world?", she asked, followed by her quirking her eyebrows.

"Yes, the entire world", he said, mimicking the way she said the words.

"And of course you've been everywhere", she said sarcastically.

He shook his head, a smile appearing on his face. "Just take my word for it", he said as a response to her teasing tone. "Stubborn one", he added as she made her way to the entrance, opening its door.

They were welcomed by a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. One of the waitresses guided them towards their reserved table, before handing them the menu. She looked around in this small restaurant, so different from the restaurant he picked for their first date. This was a bit more… informal. Yeah, that's how she thought it was.

"This is proper nice", she said, after they both looked at the menu for a awhile in silence.

"The restaurant?"

"Yeah", she said, nodding her head in agreement to her words. "Not something I thought you would take me."

He put the menu down on the table, slightly taken aback by her honesty, before looking at her, his dark eyes almost piercing through her. "I'm not always posh, you know." He took her free hand, which she rested on the table while she had looked at the menu a few moments ago, covering it with his. "Just had an upbringing like that."

"Well, your gaff does look like a fucking museum", she tried joking about the whole situation. She had a feeling this conversation was going into a direction she really didn't want it to go. "I hate museums", she added to her previous words. "Remind me of school too much."

He didn't let go of her hand, instead he put the menu down and took the other one in his as well. He looked at her in a serious manner, like he always did when he was about to say something significant. "Is this what's been bothering you?" When she looked at him, amazement written all over her face, he explained: "That we are too different?"

She simply shrugged, not wanting to answer his question. That question had been haunting her ever since she went back for a second tour. She had always wondered what he saw in her, what made him love her like he said in the restaurant during their first date. "You're so…", she started. In moments like this, finding the right words to say, seemed difficult and it wasn't like her to swallow her tongue. She always had something to say, snarky responses at the ready for the countless occasions when Two Section was teasing her. And now, now she couldn't find the words to describe the doubt inside of her. "You're just so…", she tried again.

"Different? Posh?", he said, saying the words she couldn't dare herself to say, because they sounded so final to her. That maybe the end was near when it came down to her relationship with this amazing man.

"Yeah", she said, that one words so soft, almost a whisper. "And I'm… Well, anything but."

"They say opposites do attract. That it can work."

"I had that before. Didn't work out so well."

He sat back into his chair, releasing her hands, leaving behind a cold trail and a yearning feeling to be touched again by him. It wasn't that the feeling wasn't there, because it was. But what if that wasn't enough?

He took in the words she had been saying, trying to find the appropriate response to it. After a few moments of silence he asked: "Why haven't you said anything before?"

"Cause", she swallowed. "Because I didn't want this to end. I've never had someone who made me feel like you do. I just don't throw myself into something I already know how it's gonna end." She bit her lips, before adding: "What if we can't overcome our differences and make this work?"

"I don't know, Molly." He took her hand again and kissed it softly. "I want this to work out." He looked at her, vulnerability clearly evident in his eyes.

"Me too", she sighted, but not before adding one of her smiles, trying to make light of this conversation. But soon the smile died down, since this wasn't an obstacle that would go away over night. "What exactly do you see in me?"

"What?"

"What exactly do you like so much about me? Why do you love me so much?" The questions were dead honest, asked in the same manner as back in Afghan when she asked him if loved her. She wanted to know the answer, it had been haunting her, making her doubt every move he made, every word he had written to her.

She must have caught him of guard, since he scratched the back of his head. Something he would do when he didn't know what to do or what to say. "I can't explain how I feel."

He paused for a moment. "Every time you smile, you make me smile too. In Afghan you've made me forget the horridness of the war, forget the mess of the divorce, everything. And when you were laughing at a awful joke from Mansfield, or one of the others, I couldn't help myself but laugh as well."

"You make me a better person", he added.

"I do?"

"Yeah", he said, giving her an encouraging smile. "You make me see life in a different perspective. You make me rethink things, engage my brain. You have no idea what kind of effect you have on me."

Slowly she felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She wasn't expecting him so say these things to her. These words made her realise that maybe, maybe deep down, there was still hope that they could work out. She never once understood what he saw in her, she though he only liked the fact that she was different from his ex-wife or his previous girlfriends for that matter. But never once did she imagine that his feelings for her would be so deep, like they were coming right from his soul.

"I never had this before."

"That doesn't mean you don't deserve it."

They both leaned forwards, kissing him firmly on the lips. She ran her hands through his hair, his soft hair. "Thank you", she said, while squeezing his hand with the one he was still holding. "I love you."

"And I love you", he answered.

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><p><strong>First of all, thank you very much for the reviews of the last chapters! I have been very busy with school, so I don't have the time to reply to you all. But that doesn't mean they go unnoticed. I really appreciate it :) <strong>

**This chapter was a bit more "angst" than I usually write (I am really bad at that, I think), but I just had to write this. I imagine that this would be an obstacle they have to overcome to make it work. **

**And one final thing before I stop the rambling, I have incorporated a restaurant that I visited when I was in Bath this summer. I actually had a Sally Lunn bun (extremely delicious I might add, haha). So I wanted him to take her there, even though it might me a bit out of character for him. **

**Anyway, I'll stop now. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and a review would be lovely, as always! Thanks for reading it!**


	5. May 2016

**The idea of this chapter popped up to me during school today (very inconvenient time, since I have to actually pay attention in class, haha). I worked on it during school. I hope you like it.**

**Enjoy :)**

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><p>Molly sighed, before walking out of the mess tent after she had her dinner. A soft wind blew across the ground of the current FOB where Two Section were staying at, making the sand of the Sahara desert touch her face or every other part of her skin it could find. They were stationed in the amazing country of Kenya – she had seen such amazing and beautiful sights on patrol – and were part of the British Peace Support Team.<p>

She loved being on tour, feeling like she was making a difference in the lives of the locals. Without getting involved, of course. Charles made her promise not to get involved in the lives of the locals, even though he knew deep down it was pointless for her to keep that promise. She wanted to get involved, change people's lives. It was all she ever wanted.

She missed. God, did she miss him!

"Molls!", someone screamed in the background, getting her back from her realm of thoughts, pulling her back to the reality. "Post's here!"

She turned around to the place Two Sections were hanging out, walking towards them. "Do I have anything?", she asked Fingers, who was currently standing behind the gunny. He rummaged in it, not before taking a medium sized package out of it.

"Miss Molly Dawes", he said, wiggling his eye brows. He spun it around between his two index fingers, before handing it to her. "I'm smellin' some lovin' from the Captain", he said, not before actually smelling the package and shaking it around a bit, like a child wanting to know what was in his Christmas present.

"Maybe there some intimate pics on a more personal level", Baz Vegas added.

"You're excused, Dawesy", Mansfield chipped in.

"Seriously", Molly said, before taking the package from Fingers. "Shut up!" She sat down next to the rest of the section. She ripped it open, like she had seen her brothers and sisters do when they got their birthday presents, revealing the multi-coloured swimming pool from the first tour they had spent together.

"Oi, you lucky girl!", Nute-nut exclaimed.

She smiled at Charles' thoughtfulness. During their Skype-date a few weeks ago she joked that the swimming pool would be very welcome here, especially with the nights being incredibly hot and sweaty. She never thought he would actually send it to her. And last night when she spoke to him he had said he had a surprise waiting for her.

"He did say he had a surprise waitin' for me."

"Maybe we can take a bath together every morning", Baz said, most likely to mock her.

"Hell no! It's my very own swimming pool", she said, emphasizing on the word _own_. She pointed at the rest of the section, before continuing: "And you lot ain't gonna get any of that."

"I just wanted you to rub my back, Dawesy", Baz said, striking the tone of a young child not getting his way. "You know these bed fuck up me sensitive back. Why wouldn't you do that favour for me?"

She chuckled. "Cos I ain't ever wanna see more of you than I already have."

Brains stood up, finally mingling in the current conversation of Two Section. "Dawesy", he said, putting his arm around her and making some undecipherable handgestures. "As a medic you have to take care of our wellbeing. You don't want a reputation as a bad medic, do ya?".

"I already look after ya enough." Brains let go of her shoulder, playfully putting his hands up in surrender, the grin on his face still very present.

"He's changing you, Molls", Dangleberries said, contributing to Two Sections' new object they were taking a piss at. "Can't you see?" He tried to pretend to have a serious talk with her, like a father would do with his daughter, but she knew that he was just teasing her. Everyone was taking the piss out of her!

"He's not", she contradicted her section. "He loves me!" She pulled the package close to her chest, like it meant the world to her and if someone else took it, it would break her heart.

"We've got a case of Stockholm-syndrome there, lads", Dangleberries said.

"Hmm… yeah definitely", Brains said to back up his fellow soldier.

"That ain't good", Fingers added.

"Think we need to have a chat with Kinders", Baz chipped in. After she was called on this tour she heard that Kinders had gotten a promotion. He was now team leader of Two Section, currently holding the rank of Sergeant.

"Oh, wil you wankers just stop it!", she said, well more like yelled. Two section started to laugh. Ugh, stupid wankers. She was going to get revenge on them. Maybe do some extensive tests during the next medical check-up.

She turned around, ready to start unpacking the swimming pool and inflating it. Maybe she could throw in an hour of relaxation in there, before showering and going to bed. "Oi, Molls. Where you goin'?", Nude-nut asked.

She turned around again, facing the questioning looks of Two Section. "I thought I was excused?", she said, using the words of Mansfield against them. Her words were followed by one of her notorious cheeky smiles. That was at least what Charles' called it when she was teasing him.

She made her way to the female quarters, followed by blows and whistles from the rest of the team. When she arrived at the tent she shared with a few other female soldiers, she walked over to her bed and plumped down on it. She took the envelope that was attached to the box containing the swimming pool and opened it.

It read:

_My dearest Molly,_

_How are you doing over there? The house is so quiet without you, or your laughter for that matter. That always brightens my day, not even the Rosabaya could have that effect on me and that says something! _

_Yesterday Sam came around. We went to the Bristol Zoo Gardens and had an amazing time. During the quick lunch he mentioned that he missed you and he says he wants to come with me when I pick you up from Brize Norton. So this has been decided for you. You have no say in this whatsoever. _

_Before I end this letter I just want to let you know that I love you. I think about you all the time, wishing you safe. Lying next to me in bed, smiling down at me or running you hand through my hair. I miss you. _

_Be careful. _

_Always yours,_

_Charles James_

_Ps; Don't enjoy the swimming pool too much. Gives you no time to be a brilliant medic, like I know you are ;) _

While reading the letter tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. Every time he wrote a letter to her, it made these damned tears appear, like she was some hormonal, pregnant woman who couldn't control her emotions.

Letters like these made her going, made her strive to be brilliant like he said she would during their first date. And she had tried, tried her hardest to be good at her job. It made her feel like she _was_ making a difference in someone's live.

She laid back onto the bed, closing her eyes while holding on to the letter like her life depended on it. She was blessed with such a support back home, even her mom and nan had written her letters. She smiled. She was happy, even when she currently lived in the most crappy conditions in the FOB.

She was incredibly blessed.

* * *

><p><strong>First of all, thank you very much for the reviews of the last chapters. Those are really appreciated, and make me keep going. I never thought I was good at writing "angst" in a good way, so the reviews really make my day! <strong>

**As you may have noticed I have changed the names of the chapters, giving them the month that the one shot takes place, since I don't write in chronological order. To make it more clear… **

**And as always, a review would make me a very happy writer! Thanks for reading.. :) **


	6. October 2016

With a soft bang the airplane finally touched the ground of the Brize Norton. She ran a hand through the wisps of hair that weren't held together by the French braid. She was back after a five month tour with Two Section in Kenya; her third tour.

She sighted. So many years ago she never thought she would be her today, sitting on a plane that took her from a foreign country back to British soil. She thought the future was set for her. She would, eventually then, marry Artan and work in that damned nail salon for the rest of her live, occasionally enjoying a night out with the girls.

Back then she lived a life which only revolved around having a good time but also taking care of her family. She never once looked or took care of herself in a way she deserved. But now that she was in the army, she was finally daring herself to take care of herself, but also taking care of the local population she met during her deployments. She was making a difference and she always wanted that. Mean something to someone, since she never thought she had.

The plane reduced its speed, eventually coming to a halt. The people inside the plane stood up, taking their kit in hand before making their way to the exit, towards family and friends that would be waiting for them. She sighted one more time, before walking out of the aircraft.

When she walked into the hall of Brize Norton she looked around, trying to spot some familiar faces. After a few seconds she was met with the mysterious, dark eyes she was used to see before falling asleep at night. Those eyes that said everything his words couldn't. She smiled.

"Is this just as worse as your family actually turning up?", Kinders said standing behind her. He must have noticed her looking at the former captain of the "Under Five's".

She laughed. "No", she said, adjusting the rucksack on her back. "This is so much better."

Kinders gave her a pat on the back, before walking past her. He turned around, a cheeky smile present on his face. "Don't enjoy it too much! Need you fit for training next week."

She was about to respond to the Sergeants comment, when Baz Vegas walked past her and said, a little too loud for her liking: "And he really means fit. No hard labor, if you know what I'm sayin'." He wiggled his eyebrows before eyeballing the person waiting for her. Charles simply laughed at the comment of his former comrade in arms.

"Sometimes I wish ain't ever understand what you're sayin'."

"Always a please talkin' to ya, Dawesy", he said, winking at her before greeting his family.

She took the final steps towards the dashing man waiting for her. "Hey", he said softly, the look on his face said it all. It said the things that weren't appropriate to say in the presence of his son.

She kissed him briefly on the lips. "Hey", she said in the same manner as he just did, hoping he would understand the underlying meaning behind that one syllable.

Sam interrupted the moment, tugging the sleeve of her army uniform. She raised his two hands, presenting her with a small package. She took it and turned it around. She was met with a photo which was taken a few weeks before she went to Kenya on her third tour. During the Summer Bank Holiday she, Charles and Sam spent a long weekend in Cornwall, near Saint Just. One of the most magical places in the UK she admitted afterwards. She had no idea that her own country hid so many beautiful places.

She let her hand glide across the soft, wooden frame, her fingertips touching the small engravings in the frame. "You made that for me?"

Sam nodded, his eyes wide in excitement. "Daddy helped."

She knelt down next to him, so that they would be at the same eyelevel. "Thanks, mate", she said. She pulled him into a hug. "I love it."

She stood up again, wanting to get her kit when she saw that Charles already had it in his hands and around his shoulders. She began to protest, but he cut her off by saying: "You had a long flight. The least I could do is carry the bag."

"Fine", she said, while they made their way towards the exit.

He simply laughed at her response. He knew she liked her independence. It was the result of the way she was brought up and where she grew up. She always had to fight for the things she wanted in her life, especially when it came down to getting accepted in the army. She had to do that all by herself, with no help or support from others, including her parents. Not that she really blamed them. Look at how proud they were of her right now.

Sometimes it felt weird and unnatural when Charles was being supportive of her, encouraging her to actually go back to Afghan for her second tour to train the medics. Afterwards she was glad she did go back, since it was an experience she would never forget. He was right; she needed it. She needed it to come to terms with the death of Smurf, but also with accepting that Bashira was in good hands. That there was nothing she could do for the girl anymore.

"You're mum and dad are on their way", Charles said, interrupting her trail of thoughts. "They had some trouble renting the car, so I said we'll meet them half way." She simply nodded before getting in the car.

* * *

><p>She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his naked body against hers, their fingers entangled in each other's loving embrace. She felt his breath in her neck, causing a unusual feeling running down her spine.<p>

The afternoon and part of the evening was spent in their apartment, which they had bought a few months after she had returned from her second tour. Rebecca picked Sam up from there and not a few moments later her parents left as well.

When she was in Kenya she had missed these kind of moments. Sam had become a big part of her life, but also part of her family's. He interacted with her brothers and sisters, who had taken him in without asking too many questions.

All of a sudden the person next to her stirred. When he noticed that she was awake as well, he kissed her on her cheek. "I have missed this", he whispered in her ear. One hand caressed hers, taking it in his before kissing the top of it briefly. "I have missed you."

"Missed you too." Her hand untangled from his, making its way towards his face. She caressed it, the blunt angles of his face so soft under her touch while the first traces of his beard were stinging in her hand.

She kissed him on the lips, a feeling of happiness spreading across her entire body. She moved to be closer to him, feeling his one hand running across her body while the other ran through her hair. She had missed this, him so much. She hadn't realized how much she had missed it until she laid awake not a few minutes ago.

How was it ever possible that her life turned out the way it was right now? Someone she had this nagging feeling in the back of her head, saying to her that she didn't deserve to be this happy. That that kind of life was never meant for her and that it would be taken away from her when she wasn't on her guard.

When Charles was shot on the bridge in Afghan she thought fate would take him away from her, that it would take the one person that would make her happy away from her, because she didn't deserve to be cherished like that. And she thought fate was right when he passed her in the hallway of the hospital in Birmingham, the tubes and machines everywhere.

She rested her head on his bare chest, breathing in the scent of his soap and cologne. "So, how was the tour, really?", he asked, kissing the top of her head before resting his head on top of it.

"It was great, really great." She smiled. "We helped the African people rebuild everything that was destroyed. Helping them restore the water systems and that."

"No heroics?"

She laughed; he knew her too well. "Nah, not this time. Only do that when you watch my back."

"Really", he asked, doubting the answer she'd just given him.

"Nah", she said, a chuckle followed. "Not really."

"Knew the promise was too good to be true."

"Yup, that's me."

He kissed her on the cheek again, his lips leaving traces of true love on her cheeks, like it was present in the bedroom with them. "Wouldn't want my girl any different", he whispered in her ear.

"Your girl?", she teased him.

"Well, you are, aren't you."

She giggled like a love struck teenager would do. Even though she outgrew the age where she had giggled over a guy, she couldn't help but do exactly that when it came down to him. "Suppose you're right."

He didn't respond to her words. He simply lifted her chin up with his index finger, before putting another kiss on her lips. Oh, how she wanted to stay here forever, always in the presence of this man that loved her unconditionally.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, after a few days of silence, I'm back with another one shot. I had some difficulty coming up with something for a one shot, so that's why it took so long. I hope you've enjoyed it. Reviews are always very welcome. <strong>


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